Open Arms of Minnesota

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Welcome to Open Arms
Open Arms of Minnesota prepares & delivers nourishing meals to critically ill Minnesotans and their families in need —100% free of charge to our clients.
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Fresh, Healthy, Delicious
Our dietitians guide our trained chefs in developing a variety of tasty menu items tailored to specific illnesses.
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Nutrition Support
Our dietitians provide free-of-cost nutrition education & support directly to clients, with a focus on individualized care
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A Community of Love
Open Arms is powered by our incredible volunteers, who ensure our critically ill neighbors are always nourished with love.
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Staying Safe
Click to learn how we're keeping our clients, volunteers, and staff safe during COVID-19.
Latest update
Opening Our Arms Wider To Nourish Our Neighbors
Click to learn more about the $6.8M Opening Our Arms Wider To Nourish Our Neighbors campaign aimed at capacity increases, client and volunteer growth, and expansion to the East Metro.
Campaign Website
We're Hiring!
With the opening of the St. Paul Kitchen & Campus coming soon, Open Arms of Minnesota continues to be a growing organization that is always looking for great people to bring their diverse skills to help us fulfill our mission and purpose!
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What We Offer

Medically Tailored Meals

Our registered dietitians guide our trained chefs in developing delicious, made-from-scratch meals tailored to specific illnesses.

Convenient Home Deliveries

With the help of our volunteer drivers, we deliver a week’s worth of meals at a time, allowing clients to focus on healing and spending more time with loved ones.

Nutrition
Support

Our Nutrition Team is always available for our clients. They provide each client a nutritional assessment and offer free nutrition counseling & education services.​

HEALTHY
Ingredients

We use fresh, local, and organic ingredients whenever possible—most of it prepared in-house and some of it grown ourselves at one of our five Open Farms locations.

Care for
Clients & FAmiLy

Meals are delivered not only to our clients, but also to dependents and caregivers. Income is not a qualifier for our services, and we operate on models of abundance, community, & social responsibility.

A Community of Kindness & Love

Everything we do relies on our incredible community of supporters and volunteers, who ensure that our meals are always prepared and delivered with love.
What you all do is so important. There are many people we know who have benefited from your services, should have, or could have had they lived in the Twin Cities — it could happen to any of us. Thank you for what you and all of the volunteers do.
Marina, a supporter of Open Arms
Thank you to the many generous donors, countless volunteers, and staff for providing me with the one bright spot in my week. You all have made such a difference in my life, and I can't thank you enough.
A client of Open Arms
As a dietitian, I know the impact nutrition has on health, and I am grateful Open Arms is able to serve so many people in the Twin Cities. Thanks for the work you do!
A supporter of Open Arms
My form of cancer gets me tired all the time and short of breath. If I had to cook, I would probably skip many meals, doing myself and my body no good... I could not live with this cancer without your help.
Mark, a client living with cancer
The delivery driver just left about 15 minutes ago. You may not hear it too much in my voice, but you brought tears to my eyes. You did it last week too. God bless you, thank you and just continue what you're doing.
A client living with MS
I have ALS and the meals delivered weekly despite the virus pandemic is awesome. I live alone and have escaped the virus so far. But that’s because of the food delivery from Open Arms. It’s the thoughtfulness of supporters, staff, and volunteers that makes my world bright.
Patience, a longtime client living with ALS

FY 2021 By The Numbers

3,757

clients, caregivers and dependents served with our nourishing meals

794k

medically tailored meals cooked and delivered to our clients

62k

hours of time donated by 6,600 volunteers, equaling ~30 employees

3,726

donors supported our neighbors living with life-threatening illnesses

Our Impact

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Open Arms encourages everyone in our community to help spread the word about the importance of breast cancer screening and support. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Yet, early detection through screening as well as treatment can help improve survival rates. In 2006, Open Arms developed our flavor-neutral menu and introduced Nausea Care Packs to better …

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Open Arms encourages everyone in our community to help spread the word about the importance of breast cancer screening and support. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Yet, early detection through screening as well as treatment can help improve survival rates. In 2006, Open Arms developed our flavor-neutral menu and introduced Nausea Care Packs to better meet the needs of people with breast cancer. #breastcancerawarenessmonth🎀

Happy International Coffee Day! We’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank our great friends @peace_coffee for supplying our community with their delicious coffee! Your Twin Cities Blend and Decaf French Roast flow through our veins and keep us energized on a daily basis!! Please check out their page and support them whenever you can.

#ınternationalcoffeeday

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Happy International Coffee Day! We’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank our great friends @peace_coffee for supplying our community with their delicious coffee! Your Twin Cities Blend and Decaf French Roast flow through our veins and keep us energized on a daily basis!! Please check out their page and support them whenever you can. #ınternationalcoffeeday

Cheer on Team Open Arms this marathon weekend! For the first time, Open Arms will be represented by a charity running team at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon! A full slate of weekend events are planned as a part of the marathon’s 40th anniversary celebration, including 5K and 10K races on Saturday, Oct. 1, as well as the popular 10-mile, half-marathon, and signature marathon on Sunday, Oct. 2. Members of Team Open Arms have been busy over the past year training for their respective race …

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Cheer on Team Open Arms this marathon weekend! For the first time, Open Arms will be represented by a charity running team at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon! A full slate of weekend events are planned as a part of the marathon’s 40th anniversary celebration, including 5K and 10K races on Saturday, Oct. 1, as well as the popular 10-mile, half-marathon, and signature marathon on Sunday, Oct. 2. Members of Team Open Arms have been busy over the past year training for their respective race while at the same time raising funds that will directly support our mission. The charity running experience culminates on Sunday morning when our runners will represent Open Arms in the Twin Cities Marathon and the Twin Cities 10-Mile. The team is supported by staff during the training season and will be cheered on by our supporters over the course of the weekend. Open Arms’ young professionals group, Nosh!, will be hosting a cheer station on Sunday morning beginning at 7 a.m. for anyone in our community who wants to join and cheer on the runners. The cheer station will be located on West River Parkway, southeast of East Franklin Avenue. Special thank you to our friends @storm_creek for sponsoring this year's TC Marathon Shirts! Storm Creek is a Minnesota-based clothing company that specializes in using recycled plastic bottles in its garments.

We are proud to celebrate World Heart Day! World Heart Day is an opportunity for everyone to stop and consider how best to use heart for humanity, for nature, and for you. Beating cardiovascular disease (CVD) is something that matters to every beating heart.

Our medically tailored heart healthy menu includes:

– Nutrient dense, antioxidant rich, and high fiber foods that are known to support good health for a range of needs.

– A variety of lean proteins, complex …

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We are proud to celebrate World Heart Day! World Heart Day is an opportunity for everyone to stop and consider how best to use heart for humanity, for nature, and for you. Beating cardiovascular disease (CVD) is something that matters to every beating heart. Our medically tailored heart healthy menu includes: - Nutrient dense, antioxidant rich, and high fiber foods that are known to support good health for a range of needs. - A variety of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and colorful vegetables. - Low sodium/saturated fat. - An emphasis on whole grains and healthy fats. - One fish-based dish and/or one vegetarian dish each week. #worldheartday #useheart

We take pride in our volunteers and do our best to provide the best volunteer experience for everyone who walks through our doors! Head to the link in our bio to check out all the ways you can support Open Arms as a volunteer!!

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We take pride in our volunteers and do our best to provide the best volunteer experience for everyone who walks through our doors! Head to the link in our bio to check out all the ways you can support Open Arms as a volunteer!!

As a member of FIMCoalition, Open Arms of Minnesota is thrilled to learn that #MedicallyTailoredMeals (MTMs) and "Food is Medicine" are featured as a high-level recommendation at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. With national attention on MTMs, our urgent and life-affirming work is more important than ever as we nourish and feed the most vulnerable in our communities.

This is a historic moment for the Food is Medicine movement, as the Biden-Harris …

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As a member of FIMCoalition, Open Arms of Minnesota is thrilled to learn that #MedicallyTailoredMeals (MTMs) and "Food is Medicine" are featured as a high-level recommendation at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. With national attention on MTMs, our urgent and life-affirming work is more important than ever as we nourish and feed the most vulnerable in our communities. This is a historic moment for the Food is Medicine movement, as the Biden-Harris administration's strategy supports legislative pilots to test MTM for individuals in traditional Medicare who are experiencing diet-related health conditions and promises increased guidance and authority from CMS for states wishing to use Medicaid section 1115 demonstration projects to do the same. The Strategy further promises to change lives and the face of hunger and health in our country as it also recommends expanding SNAP to more underserved populations, advancing access to healthy school meals, and more. We know through research and our clients' own voices that MTMs improve health outcomes, keep people at home and out of expensive institutions, and lower healthcare costs. There is much more work to be done at the local and federal levels, but with MTMs included in the administration's Strategy, we are grateful to see our movement centered and recognized, and confident that we will be able to improve the health and well-being of Americans living with illness and hunger as we continue to serve those too sick to feed themselves. Our critical, life-saving work continues. #WHConfHungerHealth, #MedicallyTailoredMeals, #MTM

A fun moment in our kitchen today: Zaria (pictured right), a 2016 graduate of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, was back in our kitchen to volunteer after serving as an Open Arms intern while in school. In a full-circle moment for the program, she was joined by current Cristo Rey interns, Alex and Semira, at a meal prep station!

Cristo Rey is a Catholic coeducational high school located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Open Arms is excited to welcome seven new student workers …

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A fun moment in our kitchen today: Zaria (pictured right), a 2016 graduate of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, was back in our kitchen to volunteer after serving as an Open Arms intern while in school. In a full-circle moment for the program, she was joined by current Cristo Rey interns, Alex and Semira, at a meal prep station! Cristo Rey is a Catholic coeducational high school located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Open Arms is excited to welcome seven new student workers from Cristo Rey as a part of our student internship partnership with the school. Over the course of the academic year, the students will spend 4-5 days per month assisting with pack out, kitchen work, and administrative tasks on-site at our facility in Minneapolis. Please be sure to say hi when you see our Christo Rey interns helping out around the building!

We are proud to celebrate National Food Service Employee Day! Thank you to our dedicated kitchen staff for their commitment to serving our clients the highest of quality medically tailored meals!

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We are proud to celebrate National Food Service Employee Day! Thank you to our dedicated kitchen staff for their commitment to serving our clients the highest of quality medically tailored meals!

In this month’s Nutrition Nook, courtesy of our Nutrition Services team, we take a look at plant-based foods and how to incorporate them in your day. We want to hear from you so if you’re a client and have general or specific food feedback or questions, feel free to send an email to [email protected]

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In this month’s Nutrition Nook, courtesy of our Nutrition Services team, we take a look at plant-based foods and how to incorporate them in your day. We want to hear from you so if you’re a client and have general or specific food feedback or questions, feel free to send an email to nutrition@openarmsmn.org.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Liz Jensen, our Executive Assistant & Office Coordinator! In her role, Liz manages schedules as directed by the CEO, plans, documents and reports on meetings, supports the work of the Board of Directors, and ensures the smooth operations of two Open Arms office locations.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Liz worked at the Skyway Theatre and Guthrie Theatre before breaking into journalism as a reporter for the Northeaster Newspaper. Prior to coming to…

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Liz Jensen, our Executive Assistant & Office Coordinator! In her role, Liz manages schedules as directed by the CEO, plans, documents and reports on meetings, supports the work of the Board of Directors, and ensures the smooth operations of two Open Arms office locations. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Liz worked at the Skyway Theatre and Guthrie Theatre before breaking into journalism as a reporter for the Northeaster Newspaper. Prior to coming to Open Arms, she worked as the National Sales Coordinator and Sales Assistant for Cumulus Media. “I volunteered teaching English for a few years with Literacy Minnesota and I loved the experience of helping those in my community so much, I decided to pursue a career within a nonprofit,” Liz said about what drew her to Open Arms. “When I heard about Open Arms and their mission, I knew this would be another amazing organization where I could contribute and help make a difference in people's lives.” Welcome to the team Liz!

The numbers are in! Here’s “August By The Numbers At Open Farms.”

14,040: Cherry tomatoes picked (including 10 different varieties – estrina, sungold, supernova, principe borghese, big sungold, sakura, peacevine, black cherry, sungreen, golden nugget

324: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes packed and fulfilled

120: Pounds of zucchini and summer squash harvested per week

468: Number of seedlings planted in just one week (fennel, joi choi, pac…

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The numbers are in! Here’s “August By The Numbers At Open Farms.” 14,040: Cherry tomatoes picked (including 10 different varieties - estrina, sungold, supernova, principe borghese, big sungold, sakura, peacevine, black cherry, sungreen, golden nugget 324: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes packed and fulfilled 120: Pounds of zucchini and summer squash harvested per week 468: Number of seedlings planted in just one week (fennel, joi choi, pac choy) 45: Pairs of gloves washed weekly 1,358,251: Pollinator friends hard at work It was a busy month out at our farms! Thanks to our staff and volunteers for all the hard work!!

Open Arms is proud to recognize HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, which brings attention to the growing number of individuals living long and full lives with HIV. On September 18, 2008, the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) was launched by The AIDS Institute. This day brings awareness to the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment for adults 50 years old or older. NHAAD emphasizes the need for data focused on the aging population to help understand the …

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Open Arms is proud to recognize HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, which brings attention to the growing number of individuals living long and full lives with HIV. On September 18, 2008, the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) was launched by The AIDS Institute. This day brings awareness to the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment for adults 50 years old or older. NHAAD emphasizes the need for data focused on the aging population to help understand the medical and science aspects of the aging process and its impact on older people living with and affected by HIV. People with HIV are living longer thanks to treatment with HIV medicines. More than 35 years ago, Open Arms served our first meals to people living with HIV and AIDS in the Twin Cities, and we continue to nourish those impacted by HIV/AIDS today.

Think about it…Think about it! If you’re looking to volunteer this weekend or anytime in the future, our doors are open!

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Think about it…Think about it! If you’re looking to volunteer this weekend or anytime in the future, our doors are open!

Thank you @lundsandbyerlys for the tremendous support during this year's Cupcakes For A Cause fundraising campaign held during the month of August! In addition to raising $10,000 through cupcake sales, Lunds & Byerlys guests generously donated an additional $14,361 to Open Arms! The campaign will help us prepare and deliver nearly 2,500 meals for clients, caregivers, and their loved ones. Thank you, Open Arms community, for your generosity and support!

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Thank you @lundsandbyerlys for the tremendous support during this year's Cupcakes For A Cause fundraising campaign held during the month of August! In addition to raising $10,000 through cupcake sales, Lunds & Byerlys guests generously donated an additional $14,361 to Open Arms! The campaign will help us prepare and deliver nearly 2,500 meals for clients, caregivers, and their loved ones. Thank you, Open Arms community, for your generosity and support!

Open Arms wishes our entire community a happy Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month! This runs from September 15 – October 15 and celebrates the history, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Latin, Central and South America.

Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history, impact, and culture of the U.S. Hispanic and Latinx communities. In 1968, Sept. 15 was chosen as the kickoff because it coincides with the Independence Day …

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Open Arms wishes our entire community a happy Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month! This runs from September 15 - October 15 and celebrates the history, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Latin, Central and South America. Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history, impact, and culture of the U.S. Hispanic and Latinx communities. In 1968, Sept. 15 was chosen as the kickoff because it coincides with the Independence Day celebrations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their Independence Days on Sept. 16 and 18, respectively. Originally recognized as Hispanic Heritage Week, the celebrations were extended to a month. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. We are extremely thankful to the Open Arms family members with Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx heritage for their magnificent contributions to our organization for more than 35 years! #HispanicHeritageMonth

"And I attribute all of that progress to the balance that you build into your meals." A client of Open Arms.

Open Arms offers several menu options to help meet the nutrition needs of our clients, including Hearth Healthy, Kidney Friendly/Renal, Flavor Neutral, Vegetarian, and Dairy and Gluten Free. If you have any client-related questions, check out the "Get Meals" section our website.

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"And I attribute all of that progress to the balance that you build into your meals." A client of Open Arms. Open Arms offers several menu options to help meet the nutrition needs of our clients, including Hearth Healthy, Kidney Friendly/Renal, Flavor Neutral, Vegetarian, and Dairy and Gluten Free. If you have any client-related questions, check out the "Get Meals" section our website.

Happy National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day! Although kids are vital members of our volunteer community, we’re not quite ready to hand over the keys to our kitchen today. However, we do allow children 8 years and older to volunteer in our kitchen when accompanied by an adult!

Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of our critically ill neighbors and bringing a kid in your life along? Check out our volunteer age requirements and sign up for a new volunteer …

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Happy National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day! Although kids are vital members of our volunteer community, we’re not quite ready to hand over the keys to our kitchen today. However, we do allow children 8 years and older to volunteer in our kitchen when accompanied by an adult! Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of our critically ill neighbors and bringing a kid in your life along? Check out our volunteer age requirements and sign up for a new volunteer orientation.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Kateri Thooft, our Volunteer Engagement and Groups Coordinator! In her role, Kateri engages with volunteers primarily in our kitchen, promoting an impactful experience and nourishing community, and ensuring a dependable and enthusiastic population to support daily organizational needs!

A graduate of the University of Mary, Kateri began her professional career with stops at NET Ministries, YouthWorks, and most recently Bremer Bank before making her way onto the …

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Kateri Thooft, our Volunteer Engagement and Groups Coordinator! In her role, Kateri engages with volunteers primarily in our kitchen, promoting an impactful experience and nourishing community, and ensuring a dependable and enthusiastic population to support daily organizational needs! A graduate of the University of Mary, Kateri began her professional career with stops at NET Ministries, YouthWorks, and most recently Bremer Bank before making her way onto the Open Arms team. She was drawn to Open Arms because of the passion of the people and the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing mission that makes a direct impact on our neighbor’s lives. “I’m looking forward to making great connections with volunteers and sharing the passion of Open Arms with our corporate groups in the hope that they keep coming back again and again and again!” said Kateri.

It’s been more than 20 years since 9/11, a day we promised to #neverforget. Join with us as we honor those we lost and our 9/11heroes. In their memory and honor, we hope you will reach across divides with open arms, to find common ground, beyond just this day. Through service alongside our neighbors, we can build more equitable and just communities, and rekindle our spirit of unity.

Learn more about #911Day at:

www.americorps.gov/911-day

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It’s been more than 20 years since 9/11, a day we promised to #neverforget. Join with us as we honor those we lost and our 9/11heroes. In their memory and honor, we hope you will reach across divides with open arms, to find common ground, beyond just this day. Through service alongside our neighbors, we can build more equitable and just communities, and rekindle our spirit of unity. Learn more about #911Day at: www.americorps.gov/911-day

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